Used price: $3.75
Collectible price: $4.66
Buy one from zShops for: $15.00
These anthologies are so much fun because it's possible to read an entire story in one sitting. It's great if you're short on time. Some of the stories I particularly enjoyed in S&S XIV are: The Hand of A Lady, The Stone-Weaver's Tale, White Elephants, and Traveler's Aide. The last few stories in these anthologies are always interesting. MZB likes to end things well.
The other great part of this series is the chance to read the introductions by Marion Zimmer Bradley. She's so entertaining and (sometimes) crotchety. She shares a lot about what it's like to try to make a living as a writer.
And the last thing I like about the series is that it has introduced me to most of the authors I read: Mercedes Lackey, Jennifer Roberson, Charles De Lint, Diana Paxson, Lisa Waters - and of course MZB's other books.
So buy any of the S&S books you see! You'll find a lot of them in second hand bookstores (or maybe Amazon?
List price: $24.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $13.75
Buy one from zShops for: $16.37
Carolin Hastur, destined to become king, is sent to Arillinn tower to learn how to use and control his laran powers. Varzil Ridenow, whose family was former enemies of Hastur and now become wary allies, goes against his father's wishes to enter the Tower because he feels Darkover needs his powers as they are the strongest in the land. They share a dream of making The Towers independent of Kings and banning all distance weapons. That goal has a chance of being fulfilled if Aerlin and Carolin elude the evil sorcery of Eduin, whose father is the outlawed ex-keeper Rumail Deslucido. Carolin must also wrest the kingdom away from his cousin Rokhal who seized it when the old king died.
ZANDRU'S FORGE is a powerful sword and sorcery tale starring two heroes who share a dream and fight to make it a reality. Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross have written a novel so fulfilling and satisfying that it is impossible to put down. There is plenty of action and the characters are fully developed, even the villains, making it easy to understand what motivates them. Fans of Darkover will not want to miss out on this work that adds more detail to the age of The Hundred Kingdoms.
Harriet Klausner
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $5.29
Buy one from zShops for: $12.00
Galactic civilization travels by Transmitter, a technology that allows people to step into a booth and travel anywhere to any receiver within a few light-years. Nobody needs to actually travel through the intervening distance anymore, except the Explorers: the small fleet of ships who discover new worlds, set up the first Transmitter hookups, and open them for colonization. They have their own culture, and even differ subtly between ships; this is the story of the Gypsy Moth, particularly Gildoran, who in ship-years is quite young, but with relativistic effects is far older in planet time.
Explorers are set apart, not only because of long years spent in isolation, and seeing sights and running risks that no one else ever faces, but because of the adaptations they need for the life they lead. Explorers must undergo DNA surgery as infants to survive drive effects - and the dangerous surgery can only be successfully performed in the drive field, so all Explorers are raised in the life. Raised, but not born; radiation effects leave them all sterile, with paper-white skin, while low-g gives them great height. They're only a legend on many worlds, but a legend people hate: they need to take unwanted babies to keep going.
The stories present in this edition are:
"Planets Are For Saying Goodbye" - The Gypsy Moth is preparing for departure, after spending 2 years opening up this new colony world, where Gildoran has spent his youth. Planning in terms of 5-15 year voyages, Gildoran is dispatched with his friend Ramie to buy 6 new babies from a Hatchery that's willing to deal with Explorers, even though his friend Gilmarin was lost on the same assignment. And in transit through Lasselli's World, 'Doran learns what it is not only to lose his oldest friend, but makes and loses another friend, who not only saves him from lynching, but gets him back to the Moth before liftoff.
"A Time To Mourn" - Nearly a year out, four of the six infants are still alive and beginning to talk; Explorers don't name the kids until about this time, when they're sure the children will survive the DNA surgery's aftermath. 'Doran has spent this year on Nursery duty, helping ensure that the kids will pick up human language and social skills, and not just become Poohbears in human bodies (the aliens who serve on every Explorer ship, raising the kids). He's both delighted that Rotation Day has arrived to liberate him from toddler-land, although secretly he'll miss seeing the brightest of the little 1-year-olds every day, a really cute young imp of a girl who'll need a name soon.
The Rotation assigns him to learn the skills of a Transmitter technician, and when Gypsy Moth discovers its next planet - a desert showing traces of a lost civilization - he's sent with the crew performing the first survey and Transmitter tie-in. What they find gives the world its new name, Ozymandias, and gives 'Doran the courage to suggest the only proper name for his favourite young imp.
"Hellworld" - Gildoran gets the official credit (mainly the right to name it) for discovering the lovely world, as the first member of the Bridge crew to spot it, and Gypsy Moth really needs the finder's fee for a good world, since they've been discovering a lot of bad real estate lately. They'd have settled for anything with iron-based biochemistry and heavy metals, but this one's pretty enough to be a resort. Unfortunately, the flowers of this paradise conceal deadly secrets, threatening even the almost-immortal Poohbears of the crew.
"Cold Death" - Even an uninhabitable world like Tempest can be good for something, if you're low on minerals when you happen to find it. Unfortunately, it's not quite as lifeless as it seems; the winds of Tempest carry a deadly virus that defeats all efforts to kill it, which drains the body heat out of its victims. If Gilban and the medics can't find a way to beat it, Gypsy Moth will become a floating tomb.
"A World With Your Name On It" - Gypsy Moth's crew has to swallow their pride and head for the nearest known world; they've had too many deaths and disasters, and haven't got the resources to properly open a good world even if they finally found one. But even if Lazlo welcomes them, how can they get enough manpower to return to space?
I recommend getting _Endless Universe_ over the shorter version if possible (they're both good, but this one has 1 more story than _Endless Voyage_, so it's more of a good thing.)
Used price: $0.85
Collectible price: $1.00
MZB must have been onto a good thing. In the nearly twenty years since the first publication, there have been 19 Sword and Sorceress anthologies to date. Having read all of these anthologies, I can honestly say that this remains one of the best. The originality of the stories, the quality, the variety; all of these elements make this particular shine out from the group. Out of the fifteen stories, four are written by men, including well-recognized authors Glen Cook and Charles de Lint. MZB prefaces each story with a short blurb about the author and a few comments of her own. These paragraphs, along with her introduction, enable readers to catch the glimpse of MZB's personality and some insight into why she chose the particular stories she's included in this anthology. It becomes clear that each story was selected with care, polished and set in place to augment this anthology. There are no "filler" stories here.
Readers skimming the contents will quickly recognize quite a few of the author names; Glen Cook, Emma Bull, Charles de Lint, Jennifer Roberson and Diana Paxson to name a few. For Emma Bull and some of the other authors listed, this is their first sale. That is an additional bit of delight in these earliest Sword and Sorceress anthologies. So many writers made their first sale, or were just beginning their careers at the time. As to the stories themselves, they are as varied as the authors. For sword and sorcery duos, "The Garnet and the Glory" by Phyllis Ann Karr and "The Rending Dark" by Emma Bull are good examples. For darker, emotionally charged reads, try "Severed Heads" by Glen Cook, or "Sword of Yraine" by Diana L. Paxson. On the lighter side there is "Taking Heart" by Stephen L. Burns, "Daton and the Dead Things" by Michael Ward, and the finale of the anthology, a short-short story by Dorothy J. Heydt, "Things Come in Threes". My particular favorite story-although I admit it is hard to choose just one, all of them have had a powerful impact-is "With Four Lean Hounds" by Pat Murphy. This is a beautiful, fairy-tale-esque story that is as powerful in its message as in its unfolding adventure.
Any reader who loves good fantasy, particularly short stories will likely enjoy this. Women readers especially-but in no way exclusively will appreciate the chance to read about women as protagonists of the epic fantasy story. When this was first published, there were much fewer female fantasy writers and stories available. This has changed dramatically over the intervening two decades. Despite that, it does not diminish the quality of this first anthology-and the stories remain as strong today as they were when published. On a side note-these are all fantasy reads-MZB as a rule does not include science fiction stories in any of her anthologies, although the right story can make her break the rule just a bit. If you can find this anthology, buy it-read it and treasure it.
Happy Reading!
Used price: $1.00
Collectible price: $3.73
Used price: $4.62
Collectible price: $9.70
Used price: $0.39
Collectible price: $1.58
The central characters become caught up in this struggle, while also dealing with the conflicting loyalties in their personal lives. Regis Hastur has to face his grandfather's disapproval of his lover Danilo, Lew Alton is haunted by the last words of his dead father, and Diotima Ridenow has to sort through her feelings for Lew when their marriage ends in disaster following the premature birth of their horribly deformed son.
Those who were touched by the madness of the Sharra Circle are drawn back to it, and the attempts to harness Sharra's power could easily spell disaster for Darkover.
Marguerida takes her mentor's death deeply. He was the only "real" father she ever knew. Loving, caring and filled with tenderess was what she had always craved and when she met him and his wife they gave her that.
Life on Darkover gets more mysterious when people keep treating her like royalty. They distantly refer to her dark red hair. Other people come up to her and keep telling her tidbits about the comyn and something about Gifts. Marguerida has no idea what they are talking about but has this nagging feeling that there is something she should have remembered. She travels with Rafaela to continue her musical work that she and her now dead mentor would have completed together. On the way she doesn't feel good and is sicker than she should have ever been, but doesn't know it because a lot of the time she's unconcious. Marguerida Alton is then transported to a castle where she finds friendship and the budding of new love ...
The cause of being sick is that her gift is inserting itself into her. Everyone tells her it's a gift ... why can't she believe that? To her it's a curse. The worst curse ...
Secrets are locked behind hidden walls in her mind ... no one can get to them except for herself and to do that she has to face something she fears the most ...
Used price: $17.50
Collectible price: $21.95
This book is so amazing that I'm almost at a loss for words. I just finished reading it for the third time. The first time I read it was 10 years ago. I was in college and I remember reading it between classes, during classes, and at red lights on the way to class. It was so incredible that I couldn't put it down. And now, 10 years later, reading it for a third time, the book lost none of its power - I still found layers in it that I hadn't discovered before. I found myself reading and re-reading passages and paragraphs because the book is so rich that I wanted to keep savoring it.
Whether you're gay or straight or whatever, you should be able to relate to the characters and understand them. You are in for an intense, page-turning read with The Catch Trap. The book is almost a bit overwhelming --- I recommend that you start it when you have some time to get immersed in it, as you won't be able to put it down once you pass the first 100 pages or so. (It does start a bit slowly but once it gets started, hold onto your hats!)
Another strength about this book is that it's a lot more than a love story. It has many themes---what is artistic integrity?, how do we stay close to our families while asserting our own personalities?, and how do you stay true to your soulmate while growing into your own independance?
In a way, I would have loved a sequel, but Bradley ties everything together so perfectly, that a sequel isn't necessary.
I would give my right-arm to join a book discussion group about this book. If anyone wants to discuss it over email with me, please drop me a note at stormkpr@usa.net I think it's a shame that the book is, apparently, out of print. Marion Zimmer Bradley's hidden treasure!
Used price: $0.03
Collectible price: $1.99
This is a quote from Stormqueen, but it won't be long before someone raises this question in the real world, or before we have the scientific capacity to create such a future. Marian Zimmer Bradley's prescient tale, written in the '70's, explores the very real consequences, the temptations and dangers, of such genetic manipulation.
For those not familiar with Darkover, think of it as the Middle Ages with psychic powers. It is warlike, patriarchal and pre-industrial. The lack of machines is made up for by crystals, or matrixes, which greatly amplify naturally occuring psychic powers, or laran. These have been developed to take the place of mechanical technology, for both peaceful or warlike means. (There is a striking and again, prescient, parallel between the "relay screens" and the internet.)
Like any talent, skills vary from person to person. These psychic gifts being the very foundation of Darkover civilization, people have been bred over generations for specific gifts, much like an animal breeding program. For the resulting children, death is common, as is mental/emotional instability.
All of the characters in Stormqueen have lives maimed by the breeding program. Mikhail of Aldaran has seen all of his children die; Allart has been cursed with a gift that shows him all possible consequences of each act; Renata has worked desperately to have a life beyond a childbearing pawn; Donal is forced into an intolerable situation due to his stepfather's desire for an heir.
And of course there is Dorilys, the young Stormqueen, a child with a gift far beyond her ability to handle it. A lesser writer would have made Dorilys a one-dimensional spoiled brat or "witch girl." The typical male SF writer would probably have turned her into an evil sex nymph. (See lurid cover art, which is the original from the '70's.)
In Bradley's hands, Dorilys is a fully human young girl, sometimes arrogant and spoiled, but also courageous and loving. These two aspects of her character pull her either way; until the end, it's never certain which will prevail.
The story does have its rough spots and slow places. I could have done with a little less about Allart and Cassandra's marriage, for example. You won't miss much if you skim those chapters. Since it was in there, I would have preferred a little more about how Cassandra grows from a highly dependent, girlish character into a tried and true woman.
As another reviewer noted, this is a tragedy in the classic Greek sense. At each turning or crossroads, there seems only one option, yet inevitably it leads to a tragic conclusion. The flaws of more than one character bring about the tragedy, but still it's hard to see how it could have been avoided.
This book is powerful sci-fi/fantasy with underlying serious issues. If you are concerned about some of the questions the world is facing, Stormqueen will speak to you.
I also recommend MZB's other early Darkover novels: Hawkmistress, Heritage of Hastur, Thendara House, even The Forbidden Tower (though it's not a favorite). They all feature intelligent characters dealing with complex ethical or emotional questions, with plenty of action thrown in.
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $3.18
I really enjoyed 'Shattered Chains' and 'Thendara House' gripped me from the very first pages. I read through this novel--longer than 'Chains'--over a weekend, during which I hardly put it down, and never left it behind! I just started 'The City of Sorcery' the next in the Renunciates grouping, and am already totally into it--thank goodness it's friday!
I would recommend this to everyone.